Inspiration when you need it.

You Deserve to be Happy

Happiness often sneaks in through a door you didn’t know you left open. – John Barrymore

Have you ever had a moment when you could feel the onset of a smile, but for some strange reason you stopped yourself?

Have you thought of “happiness” and decided then “not yet;” believing receiving positive emotions is not healthy and depriving yourself of happiness is not good for your well-being.

Delaying gratification is one thing, but actively shunning good vibes can be detrimental to your well-being.

You Can’t Put Happy on a Schedule

Some people make the mistake of putting off happiness.

Happiness is not a doctor’s appointment you can re-schedule to next week because this week is way too hectic. Granted there are some situations in life, like funerals or court proceedings, where you are momentarily not supposed to smile or laugh, but there is no real reason for you to be unhappy because it’s not on a schedule.

There are people who work hard all their lives thinking that only when they reach a certain goal, then they can finally be happy. Why put yourself through years of hard work only to enjoy happiness in your final days?

Hard work and happiness are not mutually exclusive. You don’t have to be unhappy just because you’re working hard. Penciling in “happiness” on your schedule is not going to have the universe adjust to your time-frame.

Every day is laid out with moments to be filled with joy; the days when you deny those moments aren’t going to push those lost chances to a future fund that will gain interest on future happiness.

When you skip a moment, the moment is lost. You are the only one stopping yourself from getting the most out of your life.

Don’t Expect your Happiness to Come from Others

Some people seem to think that they can only be happy when they finally have a partner. They pine away for that ideal person and make themselves miserable with every empty day that they are not with “the one.”

Some people expect their significant others to be able to give them their happiness. The people we love can do things to put smiles on our faces, but they shouldn’t be put in charge of our happiness. Entrusting them with the responsibility of keeping us happy is a strain that will weigh heavily on a relationship.

You need to be responsible for your own happiness. You can’t expect people to follow the script you made up in your head and get frustrated with them for not playing their role in your life. You can’t control other people with your expectations of them.

You Deserve to be Happy

You have to know that happiness is not something you have to earn. You don’t need to accumulate human being points to exchange them for the happy package at the store of the world.

There is no status that you have to qualify for to be happy, so if for some reason you feel weird or uncomfortable about being happy, ask yourself where that guilt is coming from.

You being happy does not diminish the amount of happiness in the world. You don’t need to feel stingy about how happy you can be. The supply of happiness is not finite; you are not depriving someone else of joy by being joyful.

Enjoy your accomplishments and share your blessings. Smile because you can and don’t feel bad for being a functional human being capable of happiness. Everyone deserves to be happy, and that includes you.

Choose to be Happy
In the course of a day, there are things that happen to us that can either make us or break us. When you find yourself in a situation that requires you to react, choose to take the positive side.

If you can choose between getting angry and just laughing something off, choose the latter—you’ll feel better.

Choose to smile. Choose to like things and not just express opinions of why you dislike things. Be enthusiastic about the things you like, and don’t worry so much about what other people think about your preferences.

Elsewhere

You are invited to watch Jo Warwick’s The Key to Happiness ~ Video Series. She has boiled it down to a five-part video series; with easy to watch, quick videos, focusing on the key elements of being happy in life, love, career and relationships. All you have to do take a few moments, with a cup of tea, to sit back and watch,then use and share if you like it!

Andrew Cain is a native of Gainesville, Florida and received a bachelor’s in Linguistics from the University of Florida. He served 32 months as a Peace Corps Volunteer in the Philippines where he currently resides as an itinerant freelance writer and local networking coordinator for various international volunteer organizations.

You might also enjoy

Happiness is an elusive goal for many people. Your article covers some essential truths.

Nancy Shields

Great message – perfect timing for I just wrote my own version on Happiness on my website for being the change- Cookbook notes for a happy life – I’m with you and by the way, I use to live in Newberry, FL…..Nice blog post and living in the moment is key to happiness!

In joy,
Nancy

Andrew Cain

Thank you Nancy. I definitely agree with your sentiment about living in the moment. Also, I sorely miss Newberry’s own Backyard BBQ =).